Chapter 1 Understanding Life-Span Human Development

Three broad domains What is Development? Development Physical Cognitive Psychosocial Development

Defining Development Growth Biological aging Aging Physical changes that occur from conception to maturity Biological aging Deterioration of organisms that leads to death Gain-stability-loss Aging Physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes, positive and negative, in the mature organism © 2015. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

An Overview of Periods of the Life Span © 2015. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Age Grade: Socially defined age groups Statuses, roles, privileges, responsibilities Rite of passage Ritual that marks a person’s “passage” from one status to another Body painting Bar or bat mitzvahs (Jewish) Quinceañera (Hispanic American girls) Age Norms: Behavioral expectations by age Social Clock: When things should be done “Off time” vs. “On time” experiences

Subcultural Differences Ethnicity People’s classification or affiliation with a group based on common heritage or traditions Socioeconomic status (SES) Standing in society based on occupational prestige, education, and income © 2015. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Subcultural Differences Poverty can be damaging to human development 2010 - 22% of children in US lived below the poverty line Lower academic achievement, poorer mental health and wellbeing Increased stress © 2015. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Developmental changes are the products of a Maturation: (nature) The biological unfolding of the individual genetic plan Learning: (nurture) Relatively permanent changes due to environmental experiences Developmental changes are the products of a complex interplay between nature and nurture

Figure 1.1

Goals of Studying Life-Span Development Description Normal development, individual differences Explanation Typical and individually different development Optimization Positive development, enhancing human capacities Prevention and overcoming difficulties

MODERN LIFE-SPAN PERSPECTIVE Development is A lifelong process Involves both gain and loss Characterized by lifelong plasticity Shaped by its historical-cultural context Multiply influenced

The Scientific Method 5 4 3 2 1 objective, systematic, and testable Report, revise, replicate 5 Draw conclusions 4 Test 3 Hypothesize (based on theory) 2 Perceive 1 Mastering1.6

Figure 1.2 The Scientific Method in Action

Sampling Unrepresentative sample Population Sampling procedure

Population – all the cases in a group Random Sampling if each member has an equal chance of inclusion into a sample, we call that a random sample (unbiased). The fastest way to know about the marble color ratio is to blindly transfer a few into a smaller jar and count them.

Random Sampling from Population INFERENCE POPULATION SAMPLE

3 major types of Data Collection Verbal reports - involve asking people questions about themselves or others Interviews Written questionnaires or surveys Ability and achievement tests Personality scales © 2015. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Survey A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes, opinions or behaviors of people http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org Psychology 7e in Modules

Behavioral observations A) Naturalistic Observation: Observing subjects in natural environments

Behavioral observations B) Structured observations Achieve greater control over the conditions Create special stimuli, tasks, or situations designed to elicit the behavior of interest Will research participants behave naturally? Will behavior generalize to behavior in the real world? © 2015. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Physiological Measurements Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) Measures increase in blood flow to an area of the brain that occurs when that brain area is active Hard to fake Useful in the study of infants Not always clear exactly about what is being assessed

Description Case Study Phineas Gage Is language uniquely human?

(positive or negative) Correlation When one trait or behavior accompanies another, we say the two correlate. Indicates strength of relationship (0.00 to 1.00) Correlation coefficient r = + 0.37 Correlation Coefficient is a statistical measure of relationship between two variables. Indicates direction of relationship (positive or negative) Psychology 7e in Modules

Correlation and Causation OBJECTIVE 3-5| Explain why correlational research fails to provide evidence of cause-effect relationships. Psychology 7e in Modules

Correlation Coefficient Interpretation Range Strength of Relationship 0.00 - 0.20 Very Low 0.20 - 0.40 Low 0.40 - 0.60 Moderate 0.60 - 0.80 High Moderate 0.80 - 0.90 High 0.90 - 1.00 Very High

The Experiment Operational definition - definition of a variable of interest that allows it to be directly measured. Independent variable (IV) - variable in an experiment that is manipulated by the experimenter. Dependent variable (DV) - variable in an experiment that represents the measurable response or behavior of the subjects in the experiment. Definition: Hitting while playing IV: Violent TV DV: Aggressive play

Evaluating Therapies Random Assignment Assigning participants to experimental (Breast-fed) and control (formula-fed) conditions by random assignment minimizes pre-existing differences between the two groups. Psychology 7e in Modules

Random Assignment LO 1.11 Experimental approach and terms Experimental Group Test for Differences SAMPLE Control Group Menu Psychology 7e in Modules

Confounding Variables LO 1.11 Experimental approach and terms Effect of violent tv on aggression Experimental Group SAMPLE Are differences due to manipulation or confounding variable (mood)? Control Group Menu Psychology 7e in Modules

No Confounding Variables LO 1.11 Experimental approach and terms Effect of violent tv on aggression Experimental Group SAMPLE Differences due to manipulation, not an extraneous variable because mood randomly determined. Control Group Menu Psychology 7e in Modules

Experiments Placebo effect Single-blind Experimenter bias & “double blinding” Quasi-experimental designs Mastering1.44

Psychological Research Example: An experiment to test the effect of Ginkgo biloba on memory and cognitive abilities Getty Images

Below is a comparison of different research methods.

Developmental Research Designs Cross-Sectional Designs 1 cohort (same generation) or age-groups studied 1 time of testing Studying age differences at any one time Longitudinal Designs 1 cohort (same generation) Study changes across time in one cohort

Figure 1.4

Age, Cohort, and Time of Measurement Effects Age effects: Changes which occur due to age Cohort Effects: Born in one historical context Changes due to differences in society Disadvantage of cross-sectional design Time of measurement effects: Historical Take place at time of data collection Disadvantage of longitudinal design

Sequential Designs A combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs Advantages of both designs Gives information about Which age-related trends are age effects? Which age-related trends are truly cohort effects? Which age-related trends are a result of historical events?

Figure 1.6

Cross-Sectional, Longitudinal, and Sequential Developmental Designs © 2015. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Ethics in Psychological Research Protection of rights and well-being of participants Informed consent Justification when deception is used Right of participants to withdraw at any time Protection of participants from harm Confidentiality Debriefing participants at the end of the study Correcting any undesirable consequences that may result